A pull-up bar isn't just for pull-ups. It works your back, arms, grip and abs. Here are 15 exercises ranked by level, with the goal to hit before moving on to the next. You need a sturdy pull-up bar, nothing else to start.
The 15 exercises at a glance
| Exercise | Level | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dead hang | Beginner | 3 × 30 s |
| 2. Scapular pull-up | Beginner | 3 × 8 |
| 3. Negative pull-up | Beginner | 3 × 5 negatives |
| 4. Band-assisted pull-up | Beginner | 3 × 8 |
| 5. Knee raise | Beginner | 3 × 12 |
| 6. Overhand pull-up | Intermediate | 3 × 8 |
| 7. Underhand pull-up | Intermediate | 3 × 8 |
| 8. Neutral grip pull-up | Intermediate | 3 × 8 |
| 9. Wide grip pull-up | Intermediate | 3 × 6 |
| 10. Leg raise | Intermediate | 3 × 8 |
| 11. Weighted pull-up | Advanced | 4 × 5 |
| 12. Archer pull-up | Advanced | 3 × 4 per side |
| 13. Toes to bar | Advanced | 3 × 6 |
| 14. Tuck front lever | Advanced | 4 × 10 s |
| 15. Muscle-up | Advanced | Your first one |
5 exercises to start with
1. The dead hang
Grab the bar, hands shoulder-width apart, and hang with straight arms. You strengthen your grip and get your shoulders used to carrying your weight.
Goal: 3 × 30 seconds.
2. The scapular pull-up
Hanging with straight arms, pull your shoulders down without bending your elbows: your body rises a few centimetres. Relax, repeat. It's how every pull-up starts.
Goal: 3 × 8.
3. The negative pull-up
Get your chin over the bar by jumping or from a chair. Lower yourself as slowly as you can, over 5 seconds, down to straight arms.
Goal: 3 × 5 negatives of 5 seconds.
4. The band-assisted pull-up
Hook a pull-up resistance band onto the bar and put a foot or a knee in it. Do the full movement. Switch to a lighter band as soon as you can do 8 reps.
Goal: 3 × 8 with the lightest band.
5. The knee raise
Hanging, bring your knees up towards your chest without swinging, then lower slowly. It's the first ab exercise on the bar.
Goal: 3 × 12.
These five exercises lead to your first full pull-up. The detailed method is in how to do your first pull-up.
What grip width changes
The direction of your hands matters as much as their spacing: palms facing away with an overhand grip, facing you with an underhand grip, facing each other with a neutral grip.
5 intermediate exercises
Move up to this level as soon as you get your first full pull-up.
6. The overhand pull-up
Palms facing away, hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Pull your elbows down until your chin clears the bar, then lower to straight arms. It's the standard pull-up, the one that works your back the most.
Goal: 3 × 8.
7. The underhand pull-up
Palms facing you, hands shoulder-width apart. Your biceps help more: it's often the easiest grip for adding reps.
Goal: 3 × 8.
8. The neutral grip pull-up
Palms facing each other, on parallel handles. It's the gentlest grip on your elbows and wrists. It needs a suitable bar, like our neutral grip wall-mounted bar.
Goal: 3 × 8.
9. The wide grip pull-up
Hands well wider than your shoulders, overhand. The range of motion is shorter and the effort harder. Don't force the width: your shoulders must stay comfortable.
Goal: 3 × 6.
10. The leg raise
Hanging, raise your straight legs to horizontal. Hold for a second, lower under control. If you swing, go back to the knee raise.
Goal: 3 × 8.
Abs on the bar
The three ab exercises follow on from each other: knees, then straight legs, then feet to the bar. On all of them, swinging is the enemy. Squeeze your glutes at the bottom of the movement to stop it.
5 advanced exercises
Move up to this level when you can do 10 clean overhand pull-ups.
11. The weighted pull-up
Same movement, with weight at your waist or on your torso. Start with 5 to 10% of your bodyweight. The full method is in our guide to weighted pull-ups.
Goal: 4 × 5.
12. The archer pull-up
Very wide grip. Pull towards one hand while the other arm stays straight along the bar. One arm does almost all the work. Alternate sides.
Goal: 3 × 4 per side.
13. Toes to bar
Hanging, raise your straight legs until your feet touch the bar. Your torso tilts back slightly. Lower without dropping.
Goal: 3 × 6.
14. The tuck front lever
Arms straight, bring your knees to your chest and tip your back to horizontal. Hold. It's the first step of the front lever.
Goal: 4 × 10 seconds.
15. The muscle-up
An explosive pull-up that takes you into a support above the bar. It needs room above the bar: it's mostly trained outdoors. The full progression is in our muscle-up guide.
Your typical session
| Level | Your session |
|---|---|
| Beginner | Dead hang 3 × 30 s, scapular pull-up 3 × 8, band-assisted pull-up 3 × 5 to 8, knee raise 3 × 10 |
| Intermediate | Overhand pull-up 4 × 5 to 8, underhand pull-up 3 × 6 to 8, leg raise 3 × 8, dead hang 2 × as long as possible |
| Advanced | Weighted pull-up 4 × 5, archer pull-up 3 × 4 per side, toes to bar 3 × 6, tuck front lever 4 × 10 s |
- Two to three sessions a week, with a rest day in between.
- Two minutes' rest between pull-up sets, one minute for the rest.
- The bar doesn't work your chest or legs: add our full-body programme.
TipChange your grip from one session to the next: overhand one day, underhand or neutral the next. Your elbows cope better and you work your whole back.
Mistakes to avoid
- Half pull-ups. Straight arms at the bottom, chin over the bar at the top.
- Swinging. It gets you reps, not strength.
- Shoulders up by your ears. Pull them down before you pull.
- Only doing pull-ups. Leg raises and dead hangs count just as much.
Common mistakeGoing to failure on every set. Your elbows and forearms recover slowly. Keep a rep in reserve, except on the last set.
Accessories that add exercises
- A resistance band. It assists you on pull-ups and skills.
- Rings. Hung from your bar, they add rows, dips and push-ups. See how to set up your rings.
- A multi-grip bar. Our wall-mounted bar with 6 handles gives you three grip widths without changing equipment.
Mentioned in this guide
Multi Grip Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar, 6 Handles200 kg · 6, foam · Wide, standard, narrow63,90 €
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